Shropshire Routes to Roots

David and May put their children out to work

The Story Continues

The Parish Officers contact a neighbouring farm owner who reluctantly agrees to take young John on as an indentured husbandman on the next quarter day - Lady Day - March 25th.

Elizabeth and Mary are sent to Shrewsbury to be apprenticed in housewifery.

None of the children would earn any money for the family but because they were not living at home this would make things easier for all the others.

1820 Apprenticeship agreement [Shropshire Archive reference: P74/L/10/138] Larger image and transcription, in a new window [74kb]

This image shows a document which was used to legally bind young people as apprentices.

An indenture, such as the one here for Mary Davies, was a formal or official document which bound the child to work for a particular person for a given period of time. Mary was apprenticed in housewifery from the age of 9 until she was 21 years of age, or when she married which ever was to be the first

An indenture document of 1820 Larger image and transcription, in a new window [74kb] [Shropshire Archive reference:P74/L/10/137]

Continue

You now have two choices. Whose life do you wish to follow?

• John Davies: Go
• Elizabeth and Mary Davies: Go

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